flanagaj

We have recently come back from our Australia trip to activate our visas and have a good look around. We all loved the place and would go back tomorrow, but the cost of living in Australia is just so high. To be honest I don't know how people are managing out there.

I work with a few Aussies here in London and they too are horrified at the ever increasing cost of living.

The mining industry boom looks set to continue, so I don't see how it will come back down, but it also looks as though they are struggling to keep inflation down. 8% interest rate and according to reports the average mortgage is 9 times salary.

Still, I have 4 1/2 years before our visa expires. Fingers crossed they bubble will have burst before then. I don't hold out much hope though.

Wendy

We have lots more disposable income here than I ever did in the UK. We both do exactly the same kind of jobs as we did in the UK too. We have a house that's 3 times bigger than the one we had, and we have 2 cars - didn't have any in the UK.

Not saying it's the same for everyone, but make sure you compare everything properly, you may be surprised

jayne3411

I agree, when we validated our visa back in may 2009, I was totally stunned at the cost of living, food especially.

When I came back to the uk and everyone was complaining about the price of food, I felt like saying visit australia- no one would complain then.

But saying that we'll probably end up going and hopefully what we earn over there will make up for the massive difference. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Astronaut

You're not the only one, and for many it isn't so much the difference in everyday costs but the combination of decreasing exchange rates and increasing house prices that means you now get something like 30% less house than you would have done 3 years ago.

Five years ago the trend for the move to Aus was fuelled by the fact that your money would go further and you'd have a bigger house etc. Now the financial aspect has become a barrier to entry.

But, really the financial aspect should only form part of your decision. It's more important to be happy and slightly financially restrained than rich and living in place you don't want to be.

Bermudashorts

If I do the maths we are definitely worse off here than we were in the UK, but we don't really think about it; we have a roof over our heads, nice car, enough to eat and drink and plenty left over for holidays and treats.

Perhaps you found things expensive on holiday because you are translating to sterling at current exchange rates, quite logical if you are on holiday. Whenever I try to gauge whether something is expensive or not I tend to use 2.2 to make a comparison.

Other than for my rent, I don't find cost of living any more expensive here, seems to be swings and roundabouts. Then again I don't over analyse and am not making constant comparisons. I also don't thing about what house I could have bought if I had moved five years ago and when I read those posts about how thing used to be cheaper I don't worry about it. It is what it is. I cam understand why somebody would be worse off, we fall into that camp, but certainly I don't see why costs would be a barrier to moving, not unless the decision was 100pc financial.

flanagaj

I wish that was the case, but I work in IT in London and unfortunately I would earn roughly dollar for pound if we go to Perth. Don't mind a pay cut, but even if I take out the exchange rate food / rent are still very expensive.

I can see how a sparky or other trades are keen to go as they earn more in Aus than the UK, so the higher cost of living is out weighed with a higher wage.

Quite depressing.

bcworld

I'd be very surprised if that were the case. I have no way of knowing what I'd be earning in the UK now so I can only base it on 5 years ago when I moved to Brisbane.

In those days I earned 2.2 dollars for every pound in my UK (London/SE) IT job.

If I had to guess now I'd think the number would be pretty similar....2ish.

DownUnderPaddy

Sounds like a pretty poorly paid IT job in AUS if you reckon you would only earn dollar for pound ? Maybe salaries a just poor in Perth compared to Melb/Syd ?

Weebie

People here refuse to believe this but the simple fact is that middle class Australians are by UK Standards very wealthy.

flanagaj

Finance IT in London pays £80k+. Java jobs in Perth are paying $90k

In Sydney you can earn $130k-$140k, but Sydney is not where I want to go.

DownUnderPaddy

Had no idea Perth paid so badly. Salary levels in Melb are the same as what you have quoted for Syd. I guess that simply reflects Perths status as the most isolated city in the world and also the fact that the business hub of Aus is based along the East coast ?

grace101

if your from the UK is it easier to find work in perth or brisbane?

Bermudashorts

Is it possible you are underestimating salaries in Perth, I would have thought it easy to earn far more than that in Sydney so perhaps it is in Perth too. I know we underestimated what was possible and when I arrived here I thought I had done quite well salary wise but found that two of my direct reports were earning more than me - one by 30k!

Will your OH be working? Whilst in my earlier post I mentioned we are not here for financial gain, I wouldn't have come here to struggle either and wouldn't have moved if we had a single 90k income, but two incomes might work.

freebo

Then you're not comparing Apples with Apples - Perth is not the Aus equivalent of London (for IT its a small market), the equivalent is Sydney (or maybe Melb).

Sydney IT pay can be quite a bit higher than the number you quote, especially in the big financial firms.

flanagaj

I think 130-140 is pretty conservative. Saying that, I saw a senior BA role in Perth paying 160k.

Maybe, I need to research it a bit more before making a decision.

Anyone know any good IT recruitment firms / sites in WA ?